Filing-case.



L. A. LEBOWIGH.

FILING CASE.

APPLICATION FILED June, 1913.

Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

H SHEETS-SHEET 1.

THE NORRIS-PETERS CO, FHOTO-LITHO.. WA HINGTUN. D- C.

L. A. LEBOWIGH.

FILING OASEL. APPLIGATION rum) JULY a, 1913. 113,11. filz fl a ten ed Mar. 30, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

7H!; NORRIS PETERS 60.. FHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON, D. c.

LOUIS AARON LEBOWIGH, OF BUSTON, lVIASSACI-IUSETTS.

FILING-CASE.

Application filed July 3, 1913.

T (ZZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, LOUIS AARON Lnnowron, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Filing-Cases, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to filing cases and it has for its object to improve the construction of articles of this class.

The invention consists of a filing case embodying the peculiar features of construction and arrangement of parts set forth in the following description and particularly pointed out and defined in the claims at-the close thereof.

In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 is a perspective view of a filing case constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a section on line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 41 is a transverse sectional view of the filing case shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a portion of the filing case at the junction of one of the end walls and the bottom wall. Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Figs. 1 and 4-. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one end of the follower track hereinafter described. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of the border strips hereinafter described.

The body or container of my improved filing case comprises a bottom 1, a face wall 2, a back wall 3, and two end walls 1 and 5. To the back wall 3 of this body is hinged a lid 6, said lid and all of the walls of the body being preferably made from pieces of wood glued together. The bottom 1 and lid 6 are rectangular pieces having flat interior and exterior surfaces and are made to resemble the two covers of a bound book. The face wall 2 is a rectangular strip having a flat inner surface and an outer surface that is concaved like the face of the leaves of a bound book. The back wall 3 is a rectangular strip having a flat inner surface and a convex outer surface that may be made with transverse beads 7 so that its exterior resembles the back of a bound book. The inner side of wall 3 is formed at its top and bottom edges with rabbets 71 to receive the back edges of bottom 1 and lid 6. The ends of wall t and of wall 5 are made with rabbets 9 to receive the ends of walls 2 and 3, the rabbets being made rela- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 36, 1915.

Serial No. 777,2e7.

tively deep so that the joints between each end wall and the face and back walls come close to the end of the filing case upon the outside of the latter. The exterior of the container, except walls 2, 1, and 5, is covered with a sheet 12 of cloth, leather, paper or the like, whose marginal portions lap around the edges of bottom 1 and extend between said bottom and walls 2, e and 5. The marginal portions of cover 12 at the ends of back wall 3 are rolled inwardly upon themselves and fixed there by cement, or other adhesive material, vhile the marginal portions of that part of cover 12 at the ends and side of lid 6 are wrapped around the edges of said lid and lap onto the opposite side thereof to which they are cemented. This cover 12 is cemented throughout to the container and that portion 13 thereof, which joins lid 6 to back 3, serves as a hinge on which said lid can be swung, said hinge being reinforced by a strip 142 extending from end to end of back 3 and cemented to the inside of said back and lid 6. The exterior of the walls 2. 4i and 5 may have a cover 15 cemented thereto made from paper or the like having a finish like that given to the assembled edges of the leaves of a bound book.

The cover 19 is not only held in place by cement but its marginal portions, except at the ends of wall 3 and the edges of lid 6, are securely clamped under the edge of walls 2, a and 5.

The construction above described provides a container having an exterior that is the counterpart of the exterior of a bound book, and a rectangular and commodious interior particularly adapted to receive a follower and a plurality of rectangular cards.

Within the container or body is provided a pair of tracks 17 on which is mounted a follower 18 (Fig. 1) that is fastened to said tracks with provision for adjustment longitudinally thereof, by a clamp 40 which is manually operated through a slide 19 and lever 20 mounted on follower 18. Between follower 18 and wall 5 are placed the index or other cards, papers or the like 21, which, as will now be clear, can be made of a size to fit the interior of the container so that they cannot be displaced edgewise when lid 6 of the latter is closed, thus doing away with the retaining rod heretofore required in filing cases of this class. The tracks 17 may run between walls 2 and 3, instead of between walls 4 and 5 (Fig. 1).

As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, lid 6 is made on its inner face and near its free side edge, with a recess 22 within which is fastened, by means of brads 23 or the like, a metal plate 24 made with two upwardly offset ears 28 which hold a sliding bolt 27 to the top of plate 24. This bolt is made with a finger piece 29 by means of which the bolt is slid endwise between ears 28 and'plate 24, and with a hole 25 to receive a stud 26 on wall 2 when lid 6 is closed. The stud 26 is made with a headwhich passes entirely through perforation 25 when lid 6 is closed and when it is desired to lock the lid closed bolt 27 is slid inward so as to carry one side of its hole 25 under the head ofstud 26.. By sliding bolt 27 backward stud 26 is freed to permit lid 6 to be opened. V

The bottom 1 and the walls of the container are so constructed and fastened together that warping of said parts cannot occur under ordinary conditions ofuse, but since it is desirable to use a plain rectangular plank or panel of wood for the lid-6, I provide the latter with warp preventing border strips 30 fastened directly to the two opposite edges of-said lid which are at the ends, (that is croswise) of the grain of the wood. Each warp preventing strip 30 is made from sheet metal and is cut so as to provide a narrow strlp with series of prongs 31 distributed throughout its length, said prongs being bent outward as shown in Fig. 6 and driven into the edge of lid 6. The

. plate receiving recess 22 is located immediately adjacent the free side-edge of lid 6 and plate 24 is forced downinto said recess. after cover 12 has been applied to lid 6 with the result that no cutting-of said cover is re.-

- quired to receive said plate and there are no 7 hold the outsides of the end and face walls out of contact with the desk'or other support on which the case is placed thereby pre venting scratching ofthe desk or of the end and face walls of the container. The ribs 7 on the exterior of back 3 also serve to protect the desk or other support as well as said back against being scratched.

Card index files, wherein the cards are supported on edge, haveheretoforeusually been made in the form of-drawers, boxes or cases constructed to fit within especially designed cabinets' which took up valuable space in an office orlibrary, or they wereplanned to fit into drawers of desks, which arrangement is oftentimes awkward and inconvenient and makes their contents diflicult of access.

I am aware that there are various filing receptacles used for different purposes made to partiallyresemble in a general way the shape and form of a book, but not a bound book, and, so far as I am aware, I am the first to construct a filing case with an exterior completely shaped like a bound book and havinga rectangular interior, and particularly to provide such a filing case with its lid and bottom wall projecting so as to serve as shields.

So far as I know all book shaped files have heretofore'been constructed so as to hold letters or cards in such position as to lie parallel with the lid and bottom of the case, whereas in my improved filing case cards or papers are held parallel with the ends of the book. shaped container which permits of greater economy of space. That is, my im proved construction gives greater capacity.

My improved filing case will hold a comparatively large number of cards or papers and when closed is dust proof and so closely resembles a bound volume as to be indistinguishable from ordinary books among which it may be placed on a desk or shelf. 7

The bottom 1 of the container is made up of two superimposed and glued together layers of wooden panels, the outer layer consisting of a single panel 32 and the inner layer consisting of two panels 33 of'substantially equal dimensions, which are separated so. as to leave a longitudinal slot betweenthem; The outer panel 32is made on its inner face with a longitudinal groove 34 within and at each side of which are arranged the two rails of the track 17.. The bottom edges of the end walls 4 and 5 are rabbeted to receive the ends of the panels 33 and also the ends of the rails of track 17 which are connected with short transverse metal ties 35, the latter being fastened to the end walls 4 and 5 by brads or the like driven through holes 36. The two panels 33 slightly overlie the rails of track 17 and thereby assist in holding track 17 in place;

What I-claim is 1. A' filing case comprising a container made with'a rectangular interior and with an exterior having the form and appearance of a bound book, the bottom-of said container having the form of one cover of the book and extending beyond the end and face walls of said container, a lid pivotally connected with the back wall of the container and formed to match the cover-shaped bottom of the container, and fiat warp-preventing strips of metal covering certain of the peripheral edges only of said lid, each of said strips being formed near its middle with integral prongs driven into said lid.

2. In a filing case the combination'of a container made with an exterior having the form and appearance of a bound book, the bottom of said container having the form of one cover of the book and extending beyond the end and face walls of said container; a lid pivotally connected with said container and formed to match the covershaped bottom of the container so that it projects beyond the end and side walls of the latter; a stud projecting from top of the face Wall and made with a head; a metal plate secured to the inner side of the lid; a recess in the inner side of said lid adapted to receive the head of the stud when the lid is closed; and a bolt slidably mounted on said plate and adapted to be shifted into position under the head of the stud to lock the lid closed, said bolt being made with a finger piece arranged upon the inner side of the lid and accessible from the exterior of the container when the lid occupies its closed position.

3. A filing case comprising a bottom wall made up of an outer panel provided upon its inner face with a groove, and two inner panels separated one from the other so as to leave a slot between them which registers with the groove of the outer panel; a clamp track arranged within the groove of the outer panel whereof the rails extend partly the outer panel whereof the rails extend partly under the two inner panels.

5. A filing case having one side thereof made from a panel of wood, and a flat warp preventing strip fitting fiatwise against a peripheral edge only of said panel and made with integral prongs driven into the latter.

In testimony whereof I have aiiixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS AARON LEBOWICH.

Witnesses:

GEORGE F. MoUL'roN, HERMAN S. TAY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Waehington. D. 0." 

